6 Funky Rides

Some guys just don't want to blend in. One of the best ways to stand apart is with your ride. You already know about the DeLorean from the Back to the Future movies; now hold on to your flux capacitor and feast your eyes on these funky rides.

They may not be street legal everywhere; they may not be for sale at all. Regardless, these cars put the "f-u" in funky with a dare-to-be-different attitude.

1- Gibbs Aquada

Now and then we hear of attempts at radical vehicles with split personalities: half-car, half-airplane; half-car, half-camper; half-car, half-Zamboni. The half-car, half-boat concept has been tried as well. Back in the '60s, the German-produced Amphicar made — ahem — a splash, at least for a while. But since then there has been a long dry spell for anything resembling a modern version, if only in versatility and not looks. Today, dual-sport enthusiasts have an option: the Gibbs Aquada, unveiled in 2003.

This funky vehicle wouldn't cause many double takes on the street. At first glance, it resembles a hiked-up Mazda Miata in design. But wait. Miatas don't seat three across, and the driver is most definitely not in the middle. As keen-eyed observers ponder this, the Aquada driver heads for the water to put his ride's High Speed Amphibian (HSA) components to work. It's pretty sophisticated stuff, but the driver's involvement couldn't be much simpler: push a button and wait a moment. That's about it.

On terra firma, the Aquada will spin past 100 mph, not bad at all considering its aerodynamics are the result of compromise. In the drink, you can achieve over 30 mph (or for the nautically-inclined, about 30 knots). The Aquada's speed and seaworthiness were confirmed when Virgin leader and icon Sir Richard Branson piloted one across the English Channel in a little over an hour and a half. In doing so, he firmly shattered the previous amphibious vehicle crossing record by over four hours.

What's more: No word on whether your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device.

2- Maybach Exelero

Mercedes-Benz rolled the dice by creating its ultra-luxury line of sedans, christening the cars with the historic Maybach name. Anyone who doubted success would follow is now quietly admitting flawed logic. Maybach owners range from corporate captains to rap artists, and every available model has several potential owners waiting to join the ultra-exclusive club.

While a Maybach sedan is huge, luxurious and stylish, it doesn't necessarily incite passion or raise many pulses. Which is okay; it doesn't exist to serve that purpose. So you can imagine our reaction to the funky, 180-degree departure from the sedan: the Exelero Coupe. The Exelero's sinister profile and black paint would have made it a natural for the movie Sin City. A huge, slanting grille dominates the nose, resembling either a buck-toothed rabbit or a train's cow catcher. In short, the Exelero looks like nothing else on wheels and simply captivates our imagination — even in photos. Experiencing the sinfully-huge proportions and hearing the V12's snarl in person would be nothing short of orgasmic.

What's more: The automaker stresses that the Exelero is not intended for production; just a one-off for Fulda, the tire company. That won't stop us from praying it becomes reality.